Door-opener.



G. 0. HYLAN D- DOOR OPENER.

APPL|CATION FILED JAN- 29,1913- 1,142,171, PatentedJune 8,1915

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

luuemto'o G. 0. HYLAND.

' DOOR OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.29,1913

3 SHEETS$HEET 2 L) I W Patented June 8, 1915.

G. 0. HYLAND.

' DOOR OPENER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1913.

1 1&2, 1 7 1 Patented June 8, 1915. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 GEORGE O. HYLANID, 0E CHILDB-ESS, TEXAS.

DOOR-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed January 29, 1913. Serial No. 744,982.

- the doors and open any such selectively at pleasure without leaving his seat.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a door operating mecha nism in the use of which the door may be unlatched and opened, control means being provided whereby the driver may actuate either of the door operating mechanisms at will to open any ofv the doors as may be required.

The invention'in its preferred form of details will be described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a plan view of an automobile showing the doors equipped with'the operating mechanism, and illustrating thefoot lever for the actuation of such mechanism by the driver. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the automobile showing the arrangement of actuating levers and rods. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the door operating means. Fig. 4: is a section on the line of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 .is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lever plate for the drivers control illustrating the connection of the foot lever and operating levers thereto. Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating one of the operating and control mechanisms complete and wholly removed from connection with the automobile sections. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the same.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved door operating device is designed for use with any type of vehicle whiclris provided with doors dei signed to'bfe opened to permit the entrance or exit of passengers, and, therefore, the automobile body 1 provided with doors 2 is dec signed and intended to represent any type of equal facility and efficiency to any such vehicle.

As the door operating mechanism per se is identical for each door a detail description of one such mechanism will suflice for all. The door operating mechanism includes a shaft 3 extended through the body immediately adjacent the door opening and projecting above and below the body, being mounted in any desired manner to permit rotation. ()n the upper end of the shaft is fixedly secured an operating disk 41'. which at diametrically opposite points is provided with upstanding or vertically projecting pins 5 and 6, the former of 'which may be termed the unlatching pin and the latter the door swinging pin.

The door proper is provided with a latch bar 7 having a latch. nose 8 at one end to engage a keeper 9 arranged in the door frame, the latch nose and keeper being of any desired type restricted only in that they must .be oapableof disengagement by a sliding movement of the latch bar. The latch bar mounted for sliding movement in the door extends for a portion of the length of the upper edge of the door only, and is provided with the usual linger member 10 serving as a handle for the manual operation of the latch bar when desired. Beyond the rear end of the latch bar and in alincment therewith there is pivotally secured upon the upper edge of the door what may be termed a swing plate 11, through the pressure on which, as will hereinafter appear, the door is opened and closed. The swing plate is a box-like structure open at top with its side walls undercut, at 12. Both the latch bar 7 and the swing plate 11 are preferably mounted on wear plates 14; secured to the upper edge of the door, as is usual in struc turcs of like character.

A swing lever 15 is movably mounted. upon the upper end ofthe shaft 3 immediately above and preferably resting in contact with the operating dish 4. The swing lever has a disk head 16 corresponding in size and shape to the operating'di-sk, said disk head being centrally formed with an climgated aperture 17 through which the main shaft 3 passes, and at diametrically opposite points with an opening 18 to snugly or rotatubly receive the unlatching pin and a curved slot 19 to receive the door swinging pin 6, the slot being of a curvature concentrio with the edge of the disk. The bar sec- 7 tion of the swing lever which projects forwardly from the disk head 16 has its side edges upwardly converging to fit the undercut walls 12 of the swing plate, the bar section of the swing lever being of a size to fit slidably in the swing plate, so that the swing lever is capable of sliding movement with relation to the swing plate, but held against other than such movement. The forward end of the swing lever overlies the rear end of the latch bar, being formed in the upper edge with a transversely arranged recess 21 adapted to receive a projection 22 depending from a spring strip 23 which is secured at its forward end to the latch bar 7, the construction providing, as will. be obvious from the drawings, a means whereby the latch bar may be moved to and from unlatching position without a corresponding movement of the swing lever, while in the movement of the swing lever in one direction the latch bar will be correspondingly moved. Furthermore, as the projection 22 and recess 21 are arranged transversely of the parts, it is obvious that the forward end of the swing lever may be moved. laterally without inducing a corresponding movement of the latch bar, or, in other words, a lateral movement of the swing lever will. free tghe connection between said lever and latch In the arrangement of the operating mechanism described it will be obvious that the latch bar may be freely operated through the finger member 10 to latch or unlatch the door in the usual manner, it being understood in this connection that by preference the latch bar is returned to latching posi-- tion automatically by the use of any of the usual spring means to this end. It will also be apparent from the above description taken in'connection with the drawings that in the rotation of the main shaft 3 in one direction the operating disk 4 is turned with the shaft and the disk head 16 of the swing lever effected by such movement in the following manner: As the operating disk 4 turns in the proper direction the pin 5 will move the swing lever longitudinally, such movement being permitted by reason of the elongated slot or aperture 17 in the disk head of said lever. The longitudinal movement of the swing lever will, through the engagement of the recess 21 in said lever with the projection 22 of the spring strip, withdraw the latch bar from latching position, releasing the latch nose from the keeper and freeing the door. This movement of the disk head 16 of the swing lever has been such as to cause the forward wall of the slot 19 of the disk head to contact With the door swinging pin 6, so that in the continued rotation of the main shaft the pins 5 and 6 fix the respective disks 4 and 16 together so that the movement of the dislr t will simi- 'l arly operate the disk 16. As the disk 16 turns the forward end of the bar'sections of the swing lever moves outwardly and by its pressure against the side of the swing plate will force the door to open position, the swing plate turning on its pivot during such operation and the swing lever sliding longitudinally of the plate. A reverse movement of the parts through the operation of the main shaft in the opposite direction will close the door.

In providing for the control of the door operating mechanism I secure to the bottom board Ql adjacent thedrivers seat what may be termed a le er plate 25, said plate being central control slot. The lever plate carries.

a foot lever 20 of preferred form which. lever is pivoted for movement longitudinally of the lever plate in a pivot lug 32 which pivot lug isin turn pivoted to a projection 33 depending from the lever plate, the latter pivotal connection permitting a lateral play of the foot lever. The foot lever is thus mounted for a longitudinal and lateral swinging movement whereby it may be, at the will of the driver, positioned for entrance to either of the control slots and then moved longitudinally of said slot. This detail of construction is not particularly mm terial to this invention, as this form of lever movement is not new in automobile structures, and contemplate any preferred arrangement at this point. The foot lever is connected with the lever plate through the medium of a spring 34-, which spring is arranged and tensioned to normally position the foot lever in the slot 31 when pressure ing from the lever plate are lugs 35% which upon said lever has been released. Dependv is mounted a shaft 36, and on which shaft are pivotally mounted for independent movement pressure levers 37, 38 and 39, said levers corresponding in number to the number of control slots and the upper end of each lever projecting through its particular control slot.

so that said foot lever may be moved within said terminal and then operated to actuate the'pressure lever positively in both direc tions throughout the length of the control slot, the levers 37 and 39' being limited in their inward movement by the'inner walls The upper end ofcertai-n of the levers are formed with a -U-shaped terminal 40 of a size to receive the foot lever 1 ing of the slots 28 and 30 and the lever 38 being rod 41 to an intermediate lever 42 pivotally connected to the bottom of the automobile body, said lever being in turn connected by a rod 43 to the arm at projecting laterally from the lower end of and secured to the operating shaft. The rods 43 are supported intermediate their ends by brackets 34: and have surrounding the same the springsiet which are arranged between the brackets and the collars 34: secured to the rods 43. These springs will be compressed when either of the levers 37, 88, or 39 are depressed and will act in conjunction with the spring 34: to restore the parts to normal position and close the doors 2. The rods may be suitably guided if desired and the entire mechanism just described is suitably housed for protection, the details of this construction forming no particular part of the present invention.

It will be obvious from the above description that the driver may open any one or more of the doors at pleasure through a suitable operation of the foot lever and without leavinghis seat thus obviating the necessity of the passengers from operating the doors by hand and furthermore, enabling the driver to know that all doors are properly closed before starting the machine, thereby avoiding the liability of accident or damage to the car.

lVhat is claimed is A door operating means for automobile structures including a latch bar, an operat- --ing shaft, a swing lever having a separable connection with the latch bar, and a connection between the shaft and lover to move the lever longitudinally in the initial movement of the shaft and to swing the lever in the subsequent movement thereof.

2. A door opcrating means for automobile structures including a latch bar, an operating shaft, a swing lever having a separable connection with the latch bar,-a connection between the shaft and lover to move the le- \CI longitudinally in the initial movement of the shaft and to swing the lever in the subsequent movement thereof, and a swing plate carried by the door to receive the lever.

. 3. A. door operating means for automobile structures including a latch bar, an operatshaft, a swing lever having a separable connection with the latch bar, a connection between the shaft and lover to move the lever longitudinally in the initial nmvement of the shaft and to swing the le er in the subsequent movement thereof. and a. swing plate pivotally mounted on the door to receive the lever.

4:. A door operating means for automobile structures including a latch bar, an operating shaft, a swing lever having a separable connection with the latch bar, a connection between the shaft and lover to move the lever longitudinally in the initial movementv of the shaft and to swing the lever in the subsequent movement thereof, and a swing plate pivotally mounted on the door, said lever being secured in said plate against other than sliding movement with relation thereto.

5. A door operating mechanism including a main shaft, an operating disk secured to the shaft and provided with diametrically opposite pins, a latch bar for the door, a swing lever connected with the latch bar and formed with a disk head, said disk head being formed for limited sliding movement with respect to the main shaft and with an opening to snugly receive one of said operating disk pins with an arcuate slot to receive the other of said, pins, whereby in the .initial movement of the shaft a longitudinal movement is imparted to the said lever,

6. A door operating mechanism including a main shaft, an operating disk secured to the shaft and provided with diametrically opposite pins, a latch bar for the door, a swing lever connected with the latch bar and formed with a disk head, said disk head being formed for limited sliding movement with respect to the main shaft and with an opening to snugly receive one of said operating disk pins with an arcuate slot to rc ceive the other of said pins, the connection between the swinging lever and latch. bar serving to move the latch bar in the longitudinal movement of the swing lever and to permit disconnection of the latch b: and swing lever in the swinging movement of said lever.

7. A door operating mechanism including a main, shaft, an operating disk secured to v the shaft and provided with diametrically opposite pins, a latch bar for the door, a swing lever.connected with the latch bar and formed with a disk head, said disk head being formed for llll'lll((l sliding movement with respect to the main shaft and with an opening to snugly receive one of said operating disk pins with an arcuate slot to receive the other of said pins. and a swing plate pivotally mounted on tho doiir and slidably.

the shaft and provided with diametrically opposite pins, a. latch bar for the door, a swi, g lever connected with the latch bar and formed with a disk head, said disk head being formed for limited sliding movement with respect to the main shaft and With an opening to snugly receive one oi said opereting disk pins with an {IXCUMLQ slot to reeeive the other of said pins, and a swing plate pivotally mounted on the door and slidebly receiving the lever, said. lever being fixed in the swing plate egainst other than a, swinging movement.

In testimony whereof I mix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE o. HYLAND. Witnesse WI'H. I iiLE, G. M. GRESHA 

